Fr. Andria Saria The ministry of the shepherd of Christ’s Church, the priest of the Most High God, is truly righteous, holy, and full of responsibility. In a sense, it is a unique service, set apart from all ordinary human roles. God Himself willed that the transmission and protection of His divine grace, as well as the preaching of His covenant, be entrusted to the tribe of Levi, whom He chose. The reason for giving them such a special role was, without doubt, that the Levit

Fr. Andria Saria In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Good morning, brothers and sisters, Today’s Gospel reading from Mark (10:32–45) reminds us of a truth we often, the desire to be first, to have the highest place, can quietly enter our hearts and lead us away from God. Imagine the disciples. They were with Jesus every day. They had the Teacher, the Son of God, guiding them. They saw His miracles, heard His words, and experienced His love. And

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! The episode of the Apostle Thomas makes us reflect on many things. On one hand, it reminds a person of oneself. I remember there was a time when I was reading many theological books and began to doubt, is all of this really true? How is it that all these stories resemble one another so closely? I found myself asking this especially when reading about the holy martyrs and the lives of the saints. But I did not

Fr. Dr Andria Saria Peace be with you, dear people Today we remember the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. But before this event, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. This miracle is not only about Lazarus. It is also about us. Sometimes our soul becomes like a dead body. Not physically, but spiritually. We lose prayer, we lose peace, we lose connection with God. But just as Christ called Lazarus out of the tomb, He also calls each of us, to come out from our spiritual death.

Fr. Dr. Andria Saria In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One God, Amen. The Triumph of Orthodoxy may sound like a celebration of victory over someone, but this is not the case. We do not rejoice in defeating others. Christ teaches us to love everyone, to care for all, and to seek the good of every soul. So, what does this day truly celebrate? The Orthodox Church celebrates that it has preserved the truth of Christ. It is a joy for the gift of fa

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! After the Divine Liturgy, when we take a short break, we will have the Vespers service, which is actually called the Forgiveness Service. In the past, this service was only in monasteries. Monks often lived very far from each other, and sometimes they would not see each other on Easter evening because of distance and It also meant that there was a danger that they might not return alive. So the Church set up t

Fr Dr. Andria Saria Great Lent is Fasting with a capital “F.” It is so important that when people used to say “the Fast,” they automatically meant Great Lent. If they meant another fast, they had to explain which one. Even the church services are different during Great Lent. The whole atmosphere changes. For example, during the Fast of Saints Peter and Paul, the services are almost the same as usual. The same is mostly true for the Dormition Fast and the Nativity Fast. During

Fr. Dr. Andria Saria Dear beloved brothers and sisters, Today I would like to speak about life according to the Gospel. In the Gospel, the word "life" is understood in a deep and elevated way. Often, it is closely connected with the soul. We hear these words in the Gospel: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his life? For what can a man give in return for his life?” (Mark 8:36–37). When I preach about these words, I understand "life" as the soul.

Fr. Andria Fr. Andria Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Today, on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, we remember Saint John of the Ladder. He is one of the great teachers of the Orthodox Church. His famous book, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" shows us the path to spiritual growth and union with God. Saint John lived in the Sinai desert. This is a holy place where many prophets met God. Moses saw God there. Elijah heard God there. And in this same place, Saint John lived, pray

- Fr. Dr. Andria Saria In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One God, Amen. Today is Sunday, the Day of the Remembrance of the Last Judgment. How should we approach this day? The Church stands as our guide, our teacher, preparing us in advance for the examination of our souls, just as a wise instructor equips a student before a crucial exam—not so the student fails, but so they may pass faithfully and honorably. In the same way, the Church reveals

Fr. Dr. Andria Saria In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One God, Amen. Today’s Gospel parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector has a very deep meaning for all of us. It clearly shows us what we should avoid and what we should seek, so that our repentance may truly help our moral and spiritual life. Jesus says: “Two men went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector” (Luke 18:10). Before us are two people

Sermon - Sunday 1/25/25 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters, today we hear the story of Zacchaeus, a story of sin and God’s great mercy. At that time, Palestine was under Roman rule. The Romans appointed local people to collect taxes. These people were called tax collectors. Many of them were dishonest. They took more than they should, making themselves rich, and hurting others. People hated them. Tax collectors w

(Matthew 2:13–23) Fr Andria Saria Sermon In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ. Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Today’s Gospel speaks to many themes. On the one hand, it teaches us about encountering and conversing with God through dreams. Orthodox tradition approaches this cautiously, for there are three types of dreams, and it is not always clear which comes from God, which arises from our own impress